Raging Romantics

Raging Romantics

By Northern Onondaga Public LibrarySociety & CultureArtsBooksLeisureRelationshipsHobbies
Download on the App Store

Raging Romantics episodes

  • #6: On the Prowl With Cougars

    "...[D]ear reader, everyone knows that romance for women ends at 30. Doesn’t it?”(Jones, 2017)

    Be warned y'all, JACKIE GETS VERY RAGEY IN THIS EPISODE. Why, you may ask? Because herein Jen and Jackie take on the patriarchy that is rife in western culture with a discussion of cougars in romance novels. We review the history of the term "cougar," and ponder why older women in romance novels simply isn't a "thing."

    TW: Teacher-student “relationships,” age gaps, discussion of the porn industry’s influence on romance, divorce, miscarriage, Abusive relationships; talk about BDSM


    Terms:

    • Cougar- "A "cougar" is typically defined as an older woman who is primarily attracted to younger men, often involving a sexual relationship. Although there are no precise ages, the woman is usually 35 years or older with the man more than eight years her junior" (Lowen, 2020)
    • Wife Husbandry- "A story where (usually) a man falls in love with a woman, having raised her from childhood." (tvtropes.org, 2020)
    • Chick Lit- also known as "women's literature," refers to books that feature women characters and usually a plot of self-discovery; isn't necessarily a romance although it may feature a love story
    • Independent/Indie Publishing- "Smaller publishing company which, like the big conglomerates, commissions books from authors and publish at the company’s expense, not the author’s. If very small, they are called micro-publishers." (Alliance of Independent Authors, 2020)
    • BBW- "Big, Bold Woman," referring to a woman of a larger size; also called a "curvy" romance
    • BDSM- "bondage and discipline, domination and submission, sadism and masochism" (Cosmopolitan.com, 2020)
    • Boomer- Generation born between 1946-1964

      • Books read/mentioned:

      • Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner

      • King’s Spinster Bride by Ruby Dixon

      • Madness of Lord Ian McKenzie by Jennifer Ashley

      • Anyone but You by Jennifer Crusie

      • The Forbidden Man by Karina Halle

      • Sinners on Tour series by Olivia Cunning

        • Book 1, Backstage Pass

        • To the Max by Elle Aycart

        • Melt for You by JT Geissinger

        • Toy Boy by Lily Harlem

        • On the Island by Tracey Garves Graves

        • One Summer by Karen Robards

          Articles:

          • "May-December Romance-- Avoiding the Cougar Gap" (L.G. O'Conner, 2016)
          • "Where are the Midlife Heroines in Romance Novels?" (Kathleen Jones, 2017)
          • "#ViveLaDifference: Older Heroines" (Ernst et al., 2017)
          • "15 Reasons Why Cougars Are So Appealing to Men" (Riordan, 2015) 
            • (Jen and Jackie do NOT agree with this article!!!)
            • "Cougars: hot or reheated?" (Berry, 2012)
            • "A 'Cougar' State of Mind" (Schwartz, 2010)
            • "What does it mean when a woman is called a cougar?" (Lowen, 2020)
            • "Changing the Scripts: Midlife Women's Sexuality in Contemporary US Film" (Weitz, 2010)
            • "The Cougar Conundrum" (Shpancer, 2012)
            • "Spreading the Word (and Pictures) on 'Real' Sex" (Buckley, 2012)
              • 53 min
            • #5: Silver foxes and romance heroes, oh my!

              "Mr. Rochester was about forty, and this governess not twenty; and you see, when gentlemen of his age fall in love with girls, they are often like as if they were bewitched." (Jane Eyre, chapter XXXVI)

              In this episode, Jackie and Jen explore how older men (aka, "silver foxes") are portrayed in romance novels; why are they so popular, and why does it seem like no one cares that these older men are engaging in relationships with much younger women? What's the psychology behind this? And why are women authors continuing to play into this trope with their plots? Sound off in the comments after listening; do you think that we should get rid of age gaps in romance?

               

              TW: Discussions of rape and domestic violence; cheating, questionable consent, age of consent, "daddy issues," divorce, teacher-student "relationships"

               

              Terms and definitions:

              • Age-gap romance: a romance where there is a big difference in age between two (or more) lovers
              • Daddy issues: "A father complex develops when a person has a poor relationship with his or her father. The need for approval, support, love and understanding progresses into adulthood, and it may result in bad decisions with relationships." (Perspectives Counseling, 2019)
              • BDSM- "sexual preferences and behaviors involving physical restraints, an unequal power relationship, or pain, including the practice of bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, sadomasochism, etc." (dictionary.com, 2020)
              • Insta-love: When two characters instantly fall in love with each other (Thanet writers, 2020)
              • Insta-lust: Similar to insta-love, however with this the characters fall instantly in lust with each other
              • HEA: Happily Ever After
              • "Classic" romance: May or may not contact sex, explicit or not, and focus specifically on the development of the relationship between the characters
              • "Erotic" romance: We see the development of a romantic relationship through sex; the sex is implicit and key to the development of the relationship and of the story
              • "Erotica:" features a story which is primarily about the sex and less so about the development of a relationship; no HEA necessarily, and the sexual journey influences the character's growth and development ("Gay Romance: Erotic?" Elaine Cox, 2020)

                • Books read/mentioned

                • If You Deceive, Kresley Cole
                • Love, in English by Karina Halle
                • Breeding series by Alexa Riley
                • Sleeping Beauty series by Anne Rice (A.N. Roquelaure)
                • Calendar Girl series by Audrey Carlan
                • Tessa Dare

                  • Articles

                  • "Age-Gap Romance: Recipe for Stigma or Success?" (Patrick, 2019)
                  • "May December Romance: Can Age Gap Relationships Work?" (Adamo, 2019)
                  • "Age-Gap Romance" (tvtropes.org)
                  • "Age-Gap Algebra" (ibid.)
                  • "Silver foxes are sexiest: what turns women on" (Balvage, 2011)
                  • "Everything there is to know about 'silver foxes'" (Fiouzi, 2020)
                  • "What's a 'Silver fox?'" (Merriam-Webster.com, 2020)
                  • "Father Complex: The Psychology behind 'daddy issues'" (Perspectives of Troy, 2019)
                  • "Gay Romance: Erotic?" (Cox, 2020)
                  • "Not Everything Erotic is Romance" (Marble, 2009)

                    •  

                    Podcasts:

                    • American Hauntings Podcast "Madame Delphine LaLaurie, Part 1" (season 4, episode 2)

                      •  

                      45 min
                    • #4: One of These Books Didn't Suck

                      Vampires were at one time one of the most popular romance heroes, especially in Young Adult fiction; now, however, they appear to have gone back into the coffin. What attributed to their meteoric rise through authors such as Christine Feehan and Stephanie Meyer? In this episode, librarians Jen and Jackie review these two authors and their popular series, "Dark" (Feehan), and "Twilight" (Meyer). Were you a Twihard like Jackie? Or do you prefer your vampires with a little more grit, like Jen? Sparkle on, romance nerds!

                       

                      TW: rape discussion; issues of consent; forced pregnancy; language usage; teen romance

                       

                      Books read/mentioned:

                      • "Twilight" series by Stephanie Meyer
                      • "Dark" series by Christine Feehan
                      • Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer
                      • Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James
                      • "Sookie Stackhouse" series by Charlaine Harris
                      • "Fallen" series by Lauren Kate

                        • Articles/notes:

                        • Christine Feehan's notes on "Dark Prince"
                        • "Interview with the Queen of Paranormal Romance, Christine Feehan" by Princess Weekes (2019)
                        • "Interview with Christine Feehan" by David Accomazzo (Boulder Weekly, 2009)
                        • "Twilight's potentially dangerous influence on society" by Jacklyn O'Brien (2014)
                        • "How to domesticate a vampire: gender, blood relations and sexuality in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight" by Pramod Nayar (2010)- available through GALE resources

                          • Podcasts:

                          • "Fiction for Young Adults: Romance and Vampires" LaTrobe University, 2012 (Available through Apple Podcasts)

                            • Terms and definitions:

                            • Alpha-hole- an overbearing, "extra" hero who goes above and beyond to be a...not nice hero. They go "above and beyond being arrogant and possessive" (Mandi, 2013), and often have a redemption plot where the heroine changes them
                            • Cultural citizenship-  this is "bonding and community building, and a reflection on that bonding, that pop culture provides us" (O'Brien, 2014)- aka, when you bond with another peer over a piece of pop culture.

                              •  

                              49 min
                            • #3: Vampires-Why are Bloodsuckers so Sexy?

                              Join Jackie and Jen as they debate the pros and cons of vampire heroes in romance novels. Are you Team Edward? Or do you think these books absolutely suck?

                              TW: None

                              Articles read:

                              "Vampire Romance Novels to Devour" by This Is Writing (2019)

                              "Why Are There So Many Vampires in Paranormal romance" by Brantwijn (2017)

                              "Vampire Literature" on Wikipedia (yes, we consulted Wikipedia- you can do this just ALWAYS fact check!)

                              "Interview with the Queen of Paranormal Romance, Christine Feehan" by Princess Weekes (2019)

                              "Interview with Christine Feehan" by David Accomazzo (2009)

                              Ivey, Dorothy, "The Vampire Myth and Christianity" (2010). Master of Liberal Studies Theses. 16

                               

                              Podcasts listened to:

                              “Romance and vampires” by La Trobe University (2012)- available on Apple Podcasts

                              36 min
                            • 0.5: Meet the Biggest Romance Nerds Out There

                              Welcome to Raging Romantics! In this episode, librarians Jackie and Jen introduce themselves and their history with the romance genre. Curious how we got into reading these books, and the sorts of titles we like to read? Listen to find out more!

                               

                              TW: NA

                               

                              PS: we're sorry for the audio quality on this one. Bear with us...it gets better!

                              20 min

                            About Raging Romantics

                            From the publisher's feed

                            Your favorite local librarians break down romance books. Keep an ear out for four+ episodes a month, with two guaranteed full-length episodes diving into romancelandia, plus bonus minisodes too, featuring book recommendations, reviews, and mini interviews! We can always be contacted at [email protected].